Hello quilting friends! Summer is winding down, which is always bittersweet. I hate to say goodbye to lake days and summer sunshine, but I also feel the gentle pull of autumn with its rich colors and cooler weather. Those feelings are mirrored in my sewing room, as I continue to wrap up summer sewing projects but look ahead to sewing fall-themed projects. Here’s what I’ve been up to this month:
I’ve hand stitched 32 (single round) EPP hexie flowers in my journey to make a Jelly Garden quilt (pattern by Sweetwater Cotton Shoppe). English Paper Piecing was a brand-new endeavor for me this year, and I have loved it! My slow stitching is done in the evenings while watching TV, or in the car as we travel.
My goal was to complete the 32 single flowers this summer, which I did, and then next summer I will add the outer ring to each flower. Originally, I envisioned that all of the petals would be blue, with just the flower centers in red. But as I see them all laid out, I think some outer rings of red might also be nice. Thankfully, that is a decision I can make next summer. This project will be tucked away until June of 2027.
I’ve also been making progress on my Sail quilt (pattern by Thimble Blossoms). I stitched up my third sailboat quilt while reminiscing about our August trip to Mackinac Island and St. Ignace, MI. We had a wonderful time, and I would highly recommend it. Our home state of Minnesota has its own beautiful north shore stretch along Lake Superior, so it was fun to experience the similar beauty of Lakes Michigan and Huron.
My friend Ibby and I have been trying to get together for a sew day, but life keeps interrupting us. We are making quilts using the Alabama quilt pattern by Joz Makes Quilts. Earlier this month I stitched up 3 more blocks as I was eager to see how the other print combinations looked together. The colors in this quilt are so soothing!
Ibby and I were able cross paths this past weekend at Sweetwater Cotton Shoppe in Paynesville. (We may not be able to carve out a whole sewing day, but we can always find time for a little power shopping!) We were drawn to the gorgeous new Le Petit Bonheur collection by Devonstone of Australia. We pulled a few of the autumn-leaning caramel prints from that collection and then gathered other prints from Marcus Fabrics collections (Love Letters and Yardley House), as well as one or two from Tilda, Maywood Studios and Moda. We each have 20 fat quarters of fabric beauty, which we can admire until we decide for sure what pattern we are sewing!
I have an autumn sewing project on my horizon, and I’m telling you about it to hold myself accountable, as this project is going to be a doozey! I ordered the Alaska Magic pattern and acrylic templates from Laundry Basket Quilts. I have seen the Alaska Magic quilt on my Instagram feed, and it is absolutely gorgeous. I purchased fat quarters from Morgan Kelly Quilts, Sweetwater Cotton Shop, and Paisley Threads Quilt Shop (New London, MN). My first challenge will be selecting which of my fabrics I will substitute in on the fabric/color chart included in the pattern. Color placement seems important in this pattern, and I’m pretty sure I will agonize over a few of the decisions. Perhaps I should have some affirmations ready on cutting day: You can do this! It’s going to be beautiful! Let go and let God!
That is my August update in a nutshell. I hope you find time to get carried away quilting as summer melts into autumn. Before we know it, we’ll be sewing Christmas projects! Time sure flies, doesn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by!
~Taunja